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Trash Loses Luster in Nevada - WSJ.com
Nevadans are growing less interested in importing California's garbage, and a dry lake bed outside this desert town has become a test case.
A landfill outside Reno already imports about 275,000 tons of California waste each year. Two other dumps in central and southern Nevada got permits to do so years ago, with little protest. But new plans to bury as much as 4,000 tons a day of San Francisco Bay Area trash at the proposed Jungo Road dump near Winnemucca have sparked strong opposition.
Rialto officials say Superfund listing a win in perchlorate fight - San Bernardino County Sun
A 160-acre site in the northern area of the city known for introducing a perchlorate plume into the local ground water supply has been added to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Superfund National Priorities List.
When the listing was announced Wednesday, officials declared it as a landmark victory for Rialto residents.
"This is a very victorious day for the city of Rialto, after spending $28 million to try to get these guys to do the right thing," Councilman Ed Scott said.
The Superfund designation represents a commitment by the EPA to clean the site while making it eligible for government funding, said Wayne Praskins, Superfund project manager.
The EPA has been developing an initial cleanup proposal that should be ready at the beginning of the year, Praskins said Friday.
It will cost between $10 million and $15 million to construct the facilities needed to conduct a cleanup at the site, and $1 million per year to operate them, Praskins said.
Hanford News: Email Story Print Story AddThis tool name close tool goes here Report: Gov't agency waives rules for hazardous materials shippers
The federal agency that regulates the transport of explosives, toxic chemicals, fireworks and other hazardous materials has for years quietly waived safety regulations because of its cozy relationship with industry, according to a congressional report.
The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, which regulates shipment of potentially dangerous cargo by land, sea and air, also has ignored whether shippers have been involved in accidents or cited for violating regulations before granting or renewing the waivers, the report said.
The report was based on an investigation by the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, which has scheduled a hearing for Thursday on whether PHMSA is doing its job. The chief witness scheduled to testify at the hearing is Transportation Department Inspector General Calvin Scovel, who warned administration officials in late July that a separate investigation by his office had uncovered significant concerns.
New Statesman - The UK's role in Diego Garcia: green fingers or red faces?
Sean Carey talks to Peter H Sand about his new book, United States and Britain in Diego Garcia.
Can you tell me more about the Marine Protection Area that the UK government is considering setting up around the Chagos islands?
Over the past six years, there has been an extraordinary scramble for ocean space by several big powers, all claiming jurisdiction far beyond their national territorial waters under the noble pretext of nature conservation. In April 2003, French President Chirac declared a 60-mile "ecological protection zone" in the Mediterranean, followed in September 2003 by the British Prime Minister Blair's proclamation of a 200-mile "environment protection and preservation zone" in the Chagos Archipelago, only to be outdone in June 2006 and January 2009 by US President Bush proclaiming several even larger "national marine monuments" around US atolls in the Pacific Ocean.
When I started to do research on all those new "green" ocean reserves, it turned out that most of them happened to enclose or adjoin some strategically important military bases - such as Guam, Wake, Johnston and Midway in the Pacific, or Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean. That's what aroused my curiosity about the real motives behind this sudden wave of big-power environmentalism.
I'm still amazed by the number of otherwise politically literate people in the UK and the US who have little or no idea about the whereabouts of Diego Garcia, the fate that befell the people who once lived there, or know anything about the marathon legal process involved in trying to get at least some of them back to their homeland. Earlier this year, for example, Vince Cable told me that awareness of issues related to the Chagos Archipelago among his fellow parliamentarians was, as he put it, "close to zero". Was this one of the reasons that you decided to write a book on the subject?
Northrop Grumman and others agree to $21 million cleanup of Superfund site - SGVTribune.com
The effort to clean contaminated groundwater in aquifers beneath the San Gabriel Valley got a multimillion-dollar boost Thursday thanks to a settlement reached by the federal government and several companies.
The settlement with the Environmental Protection Agency will fund a groundwater cleanup system to pump out water contaminated with volatile organic compounds, such as acetone, and make it drinkable.
Defense contractor Northrop Grumman and 43 other aerospace firms agreed to pay $21 million to help rid local groundwater of such chemicals in one of the nation's largest Superfund sites, the EPA announced Thursday.
Federal study shows mercury in fish widespread - Yahoo! News
No fish can escape mercury pollution. That's the take-home message from a federal study of mercury contamination released Wednesday that tested fish from nearly 300 streams across the country.
The toxic substance was found in every fish sampled, a finding that underscores how widespread mercury pollution has become.
But while all fish had traces of contamination, only about a quarter had mercury levels exceeding what the Environmental Protection Agency says is safe for people eating average amounts of fish.
The study by the U.S. Geological Survey is the most comprehensive look to date at mercury in the nation's streams. From 1998 to 2005, scientists collected and tested more than a thousand fish, including bass, trout and catfish, from 291 streams nationwide.
The world's worst polluter: U.S. military | Foreign Policy Journal
No matter what we’re led to believe, the world’s worst polluter is not your cousin who refuses to recycle or that co-worker who drives a gas guzzler or the guy down the block who simply will not try CFL bulbs. “The U.S. Department of Defense is the largest polluter in the world, producing more hazardous waste than the five largest U.S. chemical companies combined,” explains Lucinda Marshall, founder of the Feminist Peace Network. Pesticides, defoliants like Agent Orange, solvents, petroleum, lead, mercury, and depleted uranium are among the many deadly substances used by the military.
What does this mean for us? To start with, it can help illustrate how to best foment a green revolution. As Derrick Jensen reminds us: “Even if every single person in the United States were to change all their light-bulbs to fluorescent, cut the amount they drive in half, recycle half of their household waste, inflate their tire pressure to increase gas mileage, use low flow shower heads and wash clothes in lower temperature water, adjusts their thermostats two degrees up or down depending on the season, and plant a tree, it would result in a one time, 21% reduction in carbon emissions.”
Public Citizen - Congress, Obama Urged to Address Mountain of Unheard Mining Safety Cases
Thousands of Safety Violations Still Pending Because of Lack of Funding; Agency Needs New Leadership
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Facing a backlog of more than 13,000 unheard safety cases, the federal agency responsible for ruling on mine safety violations is in urgent need of more resources and new leadership, Public Citizen said in letters sent today to President Obama and members of Congress.
Agency officials estimate that under the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission’s current funding level, the commission will need at least five years to address its existing case backlog, excluding any new cases that arise during that time, according to Public Citizen’s letter.
Public Citizen is calling on Congress to increase the budget of the mine safety commission to bring it in line with other agencies that fill similar roles. For example, the mine commission’s budget is $2 million lower than that of the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission, despite having 6.5 times as many outstanding cases. The public interest group also is calling for Obama to replace the current chairman, a Bush administration holdover and a former attorney for the mining industry’s lobbying organization, who has done little to garner additional resources for the mining commission.
DOE to consider Hanford for mercury storage -| Tri-City Herald
The Department of Energy will consider the Hanford nuclear reservation as one of seven possible sites for long-term storage of the nation's elemental mercury, said a notice Thursday in the Federal Register.
The nation could have 8,300 to 11,000 tons of mercury from private sources that would be eligible for storage over 40 years, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
DOE is looking for storage sites after the Mercury Export Ban Act of 2008 prohibited the export of mercury beginning in 2013 and required the agency to have facilities ready to manage and store mercury generated in the United States. It is a new responsibility for the DOE Office of Environmental Management, which is responsible for work at Hanford.
EPA throws Obama’s vow of “Openness” on bureaucratic toxic waste dump
As with most presidential campaign promises, Barack Obama’s pledge of government openness isn’t lasting long.
A top gauleiter at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency appears to be indulging in the same type of cover-ups that Democrats on the 2008 campaign trail so ardently accused the Bush Administration of conducting.
Al McGartland, director of the EPA’s National Center for Environmental Economics, has chastised the authors of an EPA study that knocked gaping holes of logic in the agency’s decision to label life-sustaining carbon dioxide as a pollutant.
Court Blocks Drilling in Polar Bear Habitat : Red, Green, and Blue
A federal appeals court today rejected Bush administration plans to expand offshore drilling in Alaska. The three-judge panel agreed with environmentalists, saying the Bush-era Department of Interior’s plan to open drilling in Alaska’s Chukchi and Beaufort Seas failed to consider impacts on marine life and the environment.
The court has ordered the Interior Department, now run by Ken Salazar, to conduct a proper analysis of environmental impacts and risks before moving ahead with any plans for offshore drilling in these sensitive areas. The Chukchi and Beaufort Seas are home to approximately one-tenth of the world’s total polar bear population, along with walruses, seals, and whales.
Rocket fuel component found in baby formula - Better Life - USATODAY.com
These days, parents can choose from a wide variety of baby formulas, including versions enriched with vitamins, iron and even brain-boosting fatty acids.
A new study from scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; however, found a chemical not mentioned on the label: perchlorate, a component of rocket fuel that's linked to thyroid disease.
Population Control - Is Anyone Willing to Talk About It? : Red, Green, and Blue
Scott Cooney of Red, Green, and Blue recently wrote a thought provoking post about the need for population control as a fundamental and necessary tool to deal with a wide range of environmental crises. He refers to population control as the elephant in the room when it comes to policymakers. This is certainly an apt description of the issue, and it may even be considered an understatement. I would go so far as to say that population control is regarded as political suicide and a topic that is seemingly avoided at all costs.
The Cost of Energy » Blog Archive » Document alert: UNEP Year Book 2009
The United Nations Environment Programme’s latest Year Book is out:
The UNEP Year Book 2009 presents work in progress on scientific understanding of global environmental change, as well as foresight about possible issues on the horizon. The aim is to raise awareness of the interlinkages among environmental issues that can accelerate the rates of change and threaten human wellbeing.
The UNEP Year Book 2009 examines in six chapters new science and developments, and discusses the cumulative effects expected from degradation of ecosystems, the release of substances harmful to those ecosystems and to human health, the consequences of our changing climate, the continued human and economic loss resulting from disasters and conflicts, and the overexploitation of resources. It calls for an intensified sense of urgency for responsible governance in the face of approaching critical thresholds and tipping points.
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The United Nations Environment Programme’s latest Year Book is out:
The UNEP Year Book 2009 presents work in progress on scientific understanding of global environmental change, as well as foresight about possible issues on the horizon. The aim is to raise awareness of the interlinkages among environmental issues that can accelerate the rates of change and threaten human wellbeing.The UNEP Year Book 2009 examines in six chapters new science and developments, and discusses the cumulative effects expected from degradation of ecosystems, the release of substances harmful to those ecosystems and to human health, the consequences of our changing climate, the continued human and economic loss resulting from disasters and conflicts, and the overexploitation of resources. It calls for an intensified sense of urgency for responsible governance in the face of approaching critical thresholds and tipping points.
Bill aims at curbing green group lawsuits - Salt Lake Tribune
Rep. Mike Noel says his HB379 is aimed at reducing frivolous lawsuits by environmental groups.
But critics say it violates the constitutional rights of Utah businesses and individuals as well.
The measure would require anyone seeking a stay of an "environmental action" -- the granting of a new permit for a power plant, a road or mining, for instance -- to post a bond to cover any damages the delays might cause. The new requirement would cover permits issued by the state departments of Environmental Quality, Transportation, Natural Resources or the School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration.
Peak Energy: The Ten Best Green Jobs for the Next Decade
Fast Company says "Massive investments in clean energy promise to keep farmers, urban planners, and green-tech entrepreneurs in business for the next decade" and lists their pick of the new green jobs that will be created - Ten Best Green Jobs for the Next Decade.
"It's time to bail out the people and the planet," says Van Jones, author of The Green Collar Economy: How One Solution Can Fix Our Two Biggest Problems. We agree, and this guide to to sustainability-focused career paths will help retrofit and solar-charge your work life.
Farmer
America has only two million farmers, and their average age is 55. Since sustainable agriculture requires small-scale, local, organic methods rather than petroleum-based machines and fertilizers, there is a huge need for more farmers -- up to tens of millions of them, according to food guru Michael Pollan. Modern farmers are small businesspeople who must be as skilled in heirloom genetics as marketing. ...
Obama Adds Another Heavy-Hitter to His Team : Red, Green, and Blue
Oregon State University professor Jane Lubchenco has been added to Obama’s growing cabinet. Lubchenco, a marine biologist, will head the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Along with wanting to curb overfishing, Lubchenco has also been a voice for curbing greenhouse admissions that contribute to global warming, reports the Washington Post. Her appointment will put the NOAA in a rank of prestige, as Lubchenco is a member of the National Academy and the Royal Society, of America and England
Obama will Tap Colorado Sen. Salazar for Interior Secretary : Red, Green, and Blue
President-elect Barack Obama will nominate Colorado Senator Ken Salazar as the next Secretary of the Department of the Interior, three anonymous Democratic sources have confirmed. The sources say that Salazar has been offered the job, one telling the Rocky Mountain News “It’s a done deal.”
Salazar, a Democrat, is four years into his first term as U.S. Senator from Colorado and has been a vocal critic of the Bush administration’s energy and environmental policies, especially those relating to oil and gas development in the American West. When current Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne announced the draft rule designed to accelerate oil shale development across the West, Salazar reacted strongly, saying:
Peak Energy: Guerilla Gardening: Eating The Suburbs
The Age recently had an article on the emerging practice of "guerilla gardening", taking a look at the "Gardening guerillas in our midst". This concept seems to have steadily increased in popularity in recent years (admittedly from a very low base) as the permaculture movement's ideas have been propagated through the community.
Unlike the usual approach taken when trying to grow food in the suburbs - converting spare land on your own property (as discussed by aeldric previously and, more recently, in Jeff Vail's series on A Resilient Suburbia) - guerilla gardening involves cultivating any spare patch of urban land that isn't being used for another purpose, which could provide a substantial addition to the food growing potential of suburbia.
The Most Important Barack Obama Appointee: EPA Administrator Short List : Red, Green, and Blue
# Kathleen McGinty-Former Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Head: McGinty served as a top environmental official under President Clinton, and she has promoted renewable energy legislation in Pennsylvania while working with utility companies.
# Mary Nichols-California Air Resources Board Leader: Another former Clinton official, Nichols is working on the development of rules to limit heat-trapping emissions from power plants in California. Nichols is Senator Boxer’s top pick for the job.
# Ian Bowles-Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection Leader: Bowles worked with officials from other Northeast U.S. states to open the first American market for trading greenhouse gas permits.
# Kathleen Sibelius-Kansas Governor: Sebelius vetoed the Kansas legislature’s attempt to overrule the denial of a permit to expand a coal-fired power plant.
# Lisa Jackson-New Jersey Environmental Commissioner: Jackson is the current co-chair of Barack Obama’s environmental transition team. She has worked at the EPA for 15 years and has focused on hazardous waste clean up and enforcement in New Jersey.
# Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.-Environmental Lawyer: Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. is probably the most well-known candidate on the shortlist:
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